


Saltwater

by AlexanderWhitman



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Magic, Historical, M/M, Mild Degradation, Mutual Pining, Oneshot, Overstimulation, Paranormal, Rough Sex, Spitroasting, Teacher/Student, Tentacle Sex, Threesome - M/M/M, age gap, merfolk, mild Dom/Sub, younger man/older man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:26:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexanderWhitman/pseuds/AlexanderWhitman
Summary: Professor Serapion Papacostas and his young protege, Marius, go in search of a fabled subspecies of merfolk.They find one - and becomeverywell-acquainted.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	Saltwater

**Author's Note:**

> Available in audio format on the [Nobilis Erotica podcast.](https://nobilis.libsyn.com/ep-438-salt-water-by-alexander-whitman)

Marius had appeared on Professor Serapion Papacostas’ doorstep one brisk March morning, wild-eyed and dishevelled, clothing patched and a little tattered. But his less than proper appearance wasn’t the first thing people noticed about him; rather, it was the omnipresent collection of bumblebees that swarmed around him and settled on his skin, numbers ranging anywhere from three to thirteen. Marius blinked at Serapion, absently moving a bee from his cheek to his arm, and said, “I hear you’re looking for an apprentice.” 

At first, Serapion had thought the bees had been a gimmick to prove to him that Marius was well-versed in green magic, but it turned out that they were the result of an enchantment born out of an unspecified moment of terror in Marius’ childhood; he’d summoned the bees to protect him, and ever since there had been a lingering charm that drew bees to him as though he were the sweetest nectar. 

Serapion had took him on as an apprentice there and then, without asking anything else about his background. Now, three months later, he still knew nothing of Marius’ past except from the origin of the bees. Really, the only thing Serapion knew about him was his age, twenty-three.

“Are you sure you want to come with me? It may be dangerous.”

Marius glared at him, and despite the negativity of the expression, Serapion felt a warm little glow spread through him. Last month, he would have been too afraid to show any form of defiance. As odd as it was, Serapion was pleased that Marius was trusting him enough to show irritation at him. Before, he had been skittish as a mouse, jumping at every word, terrified of making mistakes. “Of course I want to come,” Marius said. “I’m your assistant.” 

In the few weeks that Marius had been living and working with him, Serapion had watched him grow from a timid, shrinking creature to a young man who was becoming more and more confident in his own skin, if still rather shy and reserved. His hair had grown to his chin, falling past his ears in inky-black soft waves. Sometimes – more often in the past week or so – Serapion found himself staring at him, only to be met with a questioning glance and deflecting Marius’s curiosity with an awkward little grin. Despite Marius’s innocence in such matters, Serapion was beginning to think that he may suspect something. 

Or maybe not. Perhaps it was just his paranoia speaking, as usual. 

“Well, if you’re sure you want to come.”

“Of course I’m sure,” said Marius. “I’d follow you to the ends of the earth.”

* * *

“So, we’re looking for... a sub-species of merfolk that seems to have tentacles?” asked Marius as he stood on the deck of an alarmingly-creaky boat, squinting at the glittering turquoise sea as if he expected a creature to pop up from the waves there and then. “Do they look anything like the merfolk we know about?”

“I have no idea,” said Serapion matter-of-factly. 

“Very useful,” muttered Marius.

“Well, if you see something with tentacles and a humanoid face and torso, then you’ve probably got what we’re looking for.”

Although Marius had lived and worked with Serapion for a while now, this was his first major field expedition and he’d thus not yet experienced the monotony of staring at an environment to investigate previously unknown species. The process involved a lot more waiting around and staring than he’d been expecting; he’d been bracing himself for a trek fraught with danger and action. “When do you think they’ll arrive?” 

“Well,” said Serapion, dropping yet another capelin over the edge, “hopefully any time soon. I’ve surmised they will most likely enjoy food that octopuses eat. Their tentacles have been described as more octopus-like than any other cephalopod.” The capelins swam in a tight circle just beneath the ocean’s surface, their boundaries set by an enchantment of Serapion’s. Marius was an excellent green mage, but green magic was the only sort of spells he was any good at; he was terrible at the manipulation of space and time, and Serapion was far more of an all-rounder than he was when it came to magic.

Sighing, Marius cast his eyes over the vast, glittering expanse of the North Sea. It was nearly the height of summer, the beginning of a very small window of time in which the North Sea looked relatively tranquil. He’d never been out at sea before, but he was not anxious for himself but for his bees, who seemed distressed at being away from the land. He’d bloomed some flowers for them, which only settled them a little bit. Lulled by the gentle rocking motion of the little fishing boat they’d borrowed with the pleasantly warm summer sun bathing him, Marius found his eyelids drooping. The sound of the gradually calming bees surrounded him, an omnipresent hum that never failed to relax him. 

“Marius,” snapped Serapion, causing his eyes to fly open and the bees’ humming to turn into an angry buzz as they turned to Serapion. “I don’t let you sleep under my roof and help with my studies in exchange for you falling asleep on the job.” 

“Sorry,” said Marius sheepishly, pinching himself on the inside of his wrist to attempt to wake him up, despite knowing after many long torturous hours in school that this method hardly ever worked. He entertained himself by creating strange, otherworldly flowers with spiralling purple vines, which the bees hovered over excitedly only to taste the odd pollen within and back away balefully. Serapion was staring over the edge of the boat at the capelins with a slightly forlorn expression, fingers absently tapping on the side of the boat.

“I have to say,” he said finally as he used yet another repelling spell to prevent a puffin from snatching up a capelin, “trekking through African rainforests is far more exciting than this. But,” he added hastily, “it _will_ be worth it.” 

“Do you reckon they’re sapient, like the other merfolk?” asked Marius. 

“I’ve told you, I’ve no clue. I guess we’ll find out.”

“A fine thing it would be if they were sapient and we didn’t know how to communicate with them.” 

“I’m proficient in all five of the known merfolk’s languages,” said Serapion, a slightly peevish note in his voice. “The Northern Merfolk’s territory crosses over with these ones, so hopefully there’s been some cultural exchange, as you’d expect if they were sapient.” “Well, can’t you just ask the merfolk if they’ve seen any?”

“You know the merfolk don’t like to speak to humans. They have a distrust of us, especially when we’re enquiring about their species.” 

Marius huffed, leaning over the side of the ship, and the bees’ buzzing became a little more agitated to match his mood.

Something stirred beneath the surface, and the bees suddenly took flight as one, landing on a potted lavender bush affixed to the deck that Marius had insisted Serapion take along with them. Marius’ head had turned halfway in the bees’ direction when there was an insistent splash, and he spun, hands grasping the railing of the boat. 

“I think that’s one of them,” breathed Serapion from behind him, and Marius had to bite back the words _No shit, Professor._

The tentacle that was tentatively breaching the surface of the sea was the most beautiful thing that Marius had ever seen. One side was a deep, shimmering iridescent violet-ultramarine, the other a blue so pale it was almost white, and lined with a double row of pulsing, questing suckers. Marius unconsciously raised his arm, mirroring the tentacle’s soft curving movements. He heard Serapion saying his name, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the tentacle. He suddenly understood precisely what a cobra felt in the presence of a snake charmer. 

The water surged, and a torso emerged from the water, tentacles undulating. He looked almost human, but with blue skin that was just a few shades too dark to be described as pastel, and deceptively delicate-looking fins where ears would be on a human. 

“Hello,” Marius managed to stutter out in North Mermish, that simple word talking an embarrassingly long time to come to his mind. 

The merman smiled. “Don’t worry, I speak your language. No need to butcher mine.” His voice was melodious and lilting, sounding oddly like it was an extension of the softly crashing waves, the two sounds dancing in the air to create a perfect duet. “What’s your name?”

“Marius. Marius Palmer,” he said in barely more than a whisper. “And this is Dr. Serapion Papacostas. We’re…” He scrabbled for the line Serapion had given him before they set out, and the professor’s voice slid smoothly into the conversation. 

“We’re ambassadors from the University of London. The institution is keen to establish a rapport with your people. What’s your name?”

The merman tilted his head on one side, a small smile playing over his mouth. “Dorian.” He flipped a lock of long black hair from over his forehead. 

Marius’ breath caught in his throat, and he ran his tongue quickly over his bottom lip, tasting saltwater. The merman – Dorian – really was the most gorgeous creature Marius had ever laid eyes on, and his inhuman features seemed to enhance his beauty rather than detract from it. 

“You fancy, uh, coming up on deck? It might make it easier to talk.” 

“Of course.” The gentle rocking of the boat ceased, and it was as still as if it stood on solid ground. Marius and Serapion exchanged a quick, startled glance: the merfolk were usually reticent about using magic in front of humans. 

Dorian all but fell into the boat, at odds with his graceful movements in the water, and Marius’ amused smile promptly vanished when a tentacle curled around his arm, electricity dancing over his skin. A small, shivering breath escaped him before he could stop it. 

“Sorry,” said Dorian in a distinctly unapologetic tone. “Just catching my balance.” 

“O-of course,” whispered Marius, finding himself unable to look anywhere but at his feet. But instead of letting go, the tentacle’s grip tightened slightly, and his head snapped upwards. Dorian had fixed him with a gaze so intense it was as though he was physically held in its thrall. Another tentacle came up to softly stroke a curl behind his ear, and Marius’ swallow was audible even over the sound of the sea.

Behind them, Serapion cleared his throat. “Dorian, could you perhaps do that some other time?” 

The merman threw him a coy glance. “What is it, doctor? No need to be jealous, I have plenty of arms.” One of the limbs in question stretched towards him, curling in a cephalopodan come-hither gesture. “Presuming Marius doesn’t mind, of course.” 

“Wh-what?” said Marius breathlessly. 

Dorian leaned forward, lips brushing Marius’ ear. “I’ve seen you two, how do you say, making eyes at each other. You want him, just as you want me.” 

His breath caught, and he looked towards Serapion. The professor’s lips were parted slightly, his cheeks softly roseate. “Well?” Marius whispered. “ _Do_ you want to join us, professor?” 

“Mixing work and pleasure is never a good idea, Marius.”

“On the contrary,” purred Dorian, “I have always found that to be the best method of conducting my business.” He smiled at Marius again, who felt the corners of his mouth quirk upwards in response. 

Another tentacle curled around his waist, coaxing him forwards. “Hello,” Dorian murmured. His face was now inches from Marius’, and before Marius could think too hard about what he was doing, he bridged the gap between them, lips tentatively pressing against Dorian’s. As on his own lips, he tasted saltwater, but this time there was a faint underlying aroma that he couldn’t quite identify. Whatever it was, it was addictive. 

Dorian reciprocated immediately, pressing forward with an urgency that left Marius breathless, pulling him even closer so their torsos were flush against each other.

Serapion made a small indecipherable noise, and they broke apart. 

“Well?” repeated Marius, infused with a sudden boldness that had seemed to come from nowhere. Perhaps it was from the mere proximity to Dorian’s vibrant, brazen presence. “Professor?”

Serapion tugged nervously at his emerald and gold cravat. “You know,” he said faintly, never taking his eyes off them, “I do believe I will join you after all.” Marius didn’t think he’d ever seen him like this; he was usually so put-together, the stereotypically phlegmatic Brit. Now, his obsidian hair was a little dishevelled, lips parted and a darkly glimmering look in his eye that made Marius want to drop to his knees there and then.

He went to take off his greatcoat, hesitant movements at odds with the evident desire in his face, in the very lines of his body. Marius couldn’t help an irrational pang of jealousy go through him at the fact that it was Dorian who had broken through his self-contained shell, after months of Marius wishing that Serapion would just _look_ at him. 

And then, to his pure amazement, Serapion made a beeline for _him._ Dorian let go of him, watching avidly as Serapion’s arm wrapped around his waist, palm pushing against the small of his back. The other came up to cup the back of his neck, and he kissed him with a passion that made his legs go as weak as a newborn foal’s. 

“Professor,” murmured Marius, scrabbling to pull off his blazer. Serapion complied, the jacket following the coat on the floor, and then his cravat. Marius was by no means a virgin, but nobody had ever made him feel like this. It was as though he was a candle who had been coaxed into a bonfire for the first time in his life. “Please, _please - ”_

“You’re so desperate, aren’t you,” Serapion said against his ear. “How long have you wanted this for?”

“Ever since I saw you,” whispered Marius. 

“God, me too,” said Serapion hoarsely. They collided again, hands tugging at each other’s clothes, and a burst of soft greenery exploded over the deck, cushioning Marius’ knees as he dropped to the floor. He threw Serapion’s breeches to the side so carelessly that they would have gone overboard if Dorian hadn’t caught them in one of his tentacles. Marius pressed a soft kiss to the head of Serapion’s cock, and then flicked his eyes towards Dorian. “You just going to sit there all day?” 

Dorian smiled slowly. He was gently caressing one of his tentacles, which Marius swore was a little more swollen than the others, with two of his others. “I’m alright just watching, for now. We have all the time in the world.”

Marius raised his eyebrows at the larger tentacle. “Is that… is that your cock?" 

Dorian’s smile widened. “Oh, yes.”

Without warning, Serapion’s hand curled in Marius’ hair and jerked his head back forward. “Right now, you shouldn’t be thinking of anyone’s cock other than mine.”

Marius whimpered, heat pulsing in his groin. “I’m sorry, sir.” 

Serapion’s hand tightened slightly. “You like that? You like being ordered around? You like being treated like the little slut you are?”

“ _Yes.”_ He was so turned on that it was on the verge of being painful. “Please, use me. _Use me.”_

“Just… grip my thigh if you want me to stop, okay?”

“Okay,” said Marius, who was now positively vibrating with anticipation. He wrapped his lips around Serapion’s shaft, tongue teasing at his foreskin.

Serapion let out a cry, and looked down to see Marius’ hazel eyes staring straight up at him. He allowed Marius to continue his ministrations for a few moments later before the last threads of his self-control snapped. Holding Marius’ head steady, he gave a sharp, violent thrust into his mouth, cockhead hitting the back of his throat. Marius made a choking noise, throat convulsing around him.

Marius moaned around his cock, glancing up at him again. Feeling the vibrations of that moan, and seeing those gorgeously expressive eyes swimming with tears, Serapion let out a gasp and shot his release down his throat. Marius spluttered, trying his utmost to swallow it all, but some still drizzled from the corner of his mouth. 

“Good boy,” purred Serapion, petting his hair as his softening cock slipped out of Marius’ lips. “My good little whore.”

Marius preened, savouring the praise almost as much as he’d savoured Serapion’s seed.

It was now that Dorian finally moved forward, licking that heady melange of Marius’ spit and Serapion’s cum from his chin. “Luscious.” He stroked a tip of his tentacle down his cheek. “I can’t wait to fill you.” 

Serapion surged forward, capturing Dorian’s mouth with his. Dorian’s lips parted, tongue slipping inside his mouth.

Marius eyed them hungrily, and reached for his cock, the head scarlet and dripping. 

“No,” said Serapion sharply in-between kissing Dorian. “You are not allowed to touch yourself.” 

Marius gave a desperate little whine. “I can’t help it, I, I… I need…”

“Fucking whore,” snarled Dorian, and Marius’ cock twitched. “If you can’t stop yourself, then we’ll have to do it for you.” Vines began to creep from the undergrowth, curling around his limbs. Marius lay prostate on the ground, sinking into the soft vegetation, neck arching. He tugged experimentally at his restraints, finding them tight and unyielding. 

Dorian ripped off Serapion’s shirt, the last piece of clothing he was wearing, and began trailing kisses down his throat and chest. When he reached his nipple, he flicked it with his tongue, and Serapion let out a gasping moan, his cock beginning to jerk back to life. Serapion’s face was all angles; a high aquiline nose and cheekbones that you could sharpen a knife on, and Dorian couldn’t stop gazing at it. “You’re exquisite.”

Serapion touched the pad of his thumb to Dorian’s lips, who then sucked the tip into his mouth without breaking their eye contact. “So are you,” Serapion replied.

There was a whine from behind them, and Serapion smirked. “Our slut is getting impatient.” 

“What shall we do to him, do you think?” All his tentacles except from his hectocotylus – which Marius had called his cock - had a thin and very tactile end, allowing him to tweak both of Serapion’s nipples. “Should we do this to him?”

“I think we should,” said Serapion breathlessly. 

“How about this?” A tentacle wrapped around each of Serapion’s legs, pulling them apart and exposing his puckered anus. Dorian’s cock, slick and dripping with more fluid than a human could expel, teased his entrance, and Serapion made a high-pitched noise.

A litany of swear words was pouring from Marius’ mouth, and he was beginning to thrash frantically in the vines. “ _Please!”_

“The poor boy,” said Dorian indulgently. The vines shifted, the ends crawling along the ground and carrying Marius’ along until he was at their feet before they retreated, leaving him unbound. 

Marius panted, and then turned onto his stomach, pushing his arse up in the air in the lewdest gesture Serapion had ever seen. A gesture that was impossible to resist.

Serapion ran his hands through the viscous fluid on Dorian’s cock, using it to lube up his own before slipping his index finger into Marius’ hole. “Yes!” cried Marius. “Yes, yes, _fuck me - ”_

Serapion’s cock breached him, and he let out a short, sharp scream. “Are you okay?” said Serapion immediately, stilling.

“Oh yes,” gasped Marius. “Yes, harder, rougher, _more - ”_

Serapion’s hand made a half-circle around Marius’ throat, pressing down lightly. “Don’t you dare tell me what to do.” He snapped his hips forward viciously, and Marius moaned.

Suddenly, Serapion felt something at his own entrance, and the thought of Dorian fucking him while he was inside Marius electrified every single nerve in his body. “Dorian,” he said, his usually deep voice going embarrassingly high for the second time. “I need you.”

Dorian thrust deeply inside him, and Serapion’s hands involuntarily dug harder into Marius’ hips, who keened loudly. The tip of a tentacle teased at Serapion’s mouth, and he was shocked to see that the whip-thin tip had swollen. “I thought only your cock could do that?” said Serapion, voice breathy. 

“No, all of them can.” There was definitely a smug note in Dorian’s voice. “My cock just does it the most. Now open, Professor.” 

And he did, almost automatically, as if taking orders from Dorian was the most natural thing in the world. The tentacle slipped inside his mouth, and Serapion’s tongue swirled greedily around it, teasing at one of his suckers. He was so overcome that he momentarily forgot to thrust into Marius, who let out a whine of complaint. 

“Quiet, brat.” The tip of another swollen tentacle ran across Marius’ bottom lip. “I can’t decide if I want to hear you scream or feel your mouth around me.” 

“Anything you want. I’m at your mercy.” 

“Yes. Yes you are.” He kissed at Serapion’s neck then bit down, causing him to let out a cry. “Fuck him harder, professor.” 

Serapion let out a muffled noise of assent, at the same time reaching around to wrap his hand around Marius’ shaft. His hips jerked reflexively, letting out a whimpering little cry. “Ah, Serapion, _Serapion…”_ Having his hot, tight grip around him was what finally made Marius come undone, releasing more cum that Serapion would have thought was possible. He made to catch some on his fingers, before pushing them past Marius’ lips. He sucked at them immediately, tongue laving over him hungrily. 

Serapion’s hand flew up to tug at Dorian’s tentacle, coaxing it from his mouth so he could growl into Marius’ ear. “You fucking gourmand,” he said, nipping at his earlobe. Marius’ little series of moans galvanised him, fucking him with an almost brutal pace. Marius’ mouth slackened, eyes screwed tightly, looking like he was letting out a silent scream.

“Too – too sensitive - ”

“Oh no, sweetheart,” said Serapion. “I won’t stop until I paint your insides with my cum.”

Marius made an indecipherable noise, going limp in his arms.

A tentacle snaked around Serapion’s throat, cutting off his air, and with a choking gasp he came, his body turning to liquid in his grasp. His arms loosened around Marius, who collapsed to the floor, Serapion’s warm seed leaking out from his arse. The tentacle slipped from Serapion, leaving a thick trail of clear fluid in its wake, and he was lowered gently to the ground. Marius turned on his side, reaching out lazily for him across the lush foliage, and Serapion threaded his fingers through his.

“Why didn’t we do this months ago?” said Marius, allowing himself to be pulled towards Serapion and throwing an arm around his waist. 

“Because we’re idiots?” ventured Serapion, and Marius chuckled. 

Dorian performed the closest approximation of a kneel that he could manage, cocooning them both in his tentacles. Serapion’s face turned towards his, and Dorian gave him a quick, soft kiss. “We never did get round to talking business. You said you’re from the university?”

“Yes, the University of – of – look, I think we should have this conversation clothed, lest we be… distracted. Again.”

Dorian let out a beleaguered sigh, untangling himself from them. “Very well.” 

Marius rolled his eyes, stretching out further with the elegant movements of a large feline. “I don’t want to get dressed. I want to go to sleep.” 

Serapion balled up his shirt and threw it at his face. “Don’t be a brat.” 

“Or what? You’ll punish me?” 

“Yes,” said Serapion shortly. “I’ll punish you by never sleeping with you ever again." 

Marius raised an eyebrow. “As if you could resist.” 

“Just put on your damn clothes, Palmer.”

Marius smiled, ruffling his dishevelled auburn curls and picking up the shirt. “Good boy,” said Serapion, and a frisson of lust went through him. The professor noticed, of course, and said, “Do you get turned on by everything I do?”

“No. But it does turn me on when you praise me like that.”

“Get dressed and I’ll do it some more.”

There was a little smirk on Marius’ face as he dressed. He dressed hurriedly and haphazardly, in stark contrast to Serapion’s careful, meticulous movements. Somehow, he could perfectly tie a cravat in less than twenty seconds, even without a mirror to guide him. 

“So.” Serapion cleared his throat. “I came here because I was looking for one of your kind – a merfolk of the cephalopodan subspecies. I am writing a dissertation on the societies of merfolk in Northern Europe waters, and I don’t have any first-hand accounts of your people yet – you’re notoriously slippery. No pun intended.” 

“Well, I am always an advocate of academic progress.” A tentacle absently reached up to scratch behind one of the fins jutting out from his head. “What, exactly, would you… need from me?”

Ever the professional, Serapion scarcely blinked. “Since I may think of various alternate avenues of questioning during my writing, I would prefer it if you would be nearby for at least a month. Of course, I would be willing to provide residency at my estate, but I don’t know if you would be comfortable on land for such a prolonged period of time.”

“I can be on land for a few days before it gets uncomfortable for me, and London… you must be near the Thames, right? A couple of hours soak every few days and I’ll be perfect.” A few tentacles were absently running through his hair, tidying it up. It had finally begun to dry, creating a dark fluffy halo around his head, and Marius felt a little jolt of electricity through his groin. 

“So… so you’ll do it?” asked Serapion. 

“Oh, yes. I’ve never been on land before.” Dorian paused. “And you’re sure you wouldn’t mind me staying with you?”

“It’s no trouble, I have plenty of space.” 

“That’s very generous, professor. Thank you.” 

“And who knows,” said Serapion before he could stop himself, “maybe you’ll like the land so much you’ll want to stay."

Dorian gave him an enigmatic little smile. “Yes. Perhaps I might.”

Marius opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it. The bumblebees flew from the lavender plant back to him as though sensing his surging anxiety, their hum a tonic to his nerves. “Serapion?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” 

“The contract on my apprenticeship runs out at the beginning of July, and I was – I was just wondering what your plans were, with regards to…"

Serapion stepped forward, cupping Marius’ cheek in his palm. “I planned to hire you as my assistant. In fact, I thought that was… that was a given. I should have confirmed it sooner, prevent you from worrying.”

Marius gave him a blinding smile. “Oh, thank you, Serapion!”

“And of course, you’re welcome to continue to stay with me for as long as you desire.”

“Always,” said Marius without thinking, and then swallowed. 

Serapion kissed him, hand going to the small of his back, and Marius smiled against his lips. “Good,” breathed Serapion. 

And then, with Serapion and Marius holding hands and Dorian’s tentacles curled around them, and the susurration of bees weaving with the whispering waves, Serapion’s magic steered the ship back to shore. 

**Author's Note:**

> Patreon: https://patreon.com/alexanderwhitman


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